Crowds pack Memories in Margate to honor late Jerry Blavat: 'He was a great man'

MARGATE, N.J. - Crowds packed Memories in Margate on what would have been Jerry Blavat's 83rd birthday to celebrate the late Philadelphia radio legend with singing and dancing.

"He gave us so much energy, his energy, I think it helped him become the person he was," said Cannonball, a longtime friend of Blavat. 

City officials gathered outside the club to dedicate a plaque in Blavat's honor. Among those in attendance was his longtime partner Keely Stahl who said she purposefully stayed away from Memories at Margate for three decades. 

"I haven't been here in 30 years, I used to stay away from his gigs when he was working because I wanted him to feel free to be with his fans and with the ladies so he could do his thing," Stahl said.

The iconic DJ who is credited with starting the careers of countless musical acts spent his summers at Memories in Margate and owned the club up until his death in January. With Jerry gone, his family is still deciding what to do next with the Jersey shore landmark property. 

"I just hop it stays alive and his legacy continues," Vincent Taraborrelli said. "He was a great man and I feel all of Margate would appreciate it if this place stayed alive."